My Woodland Mate
by Zathuraraine
Summary: Derek meets his mate for the first time while he's about to take out a feral pack who's into magic and the cult and have been killing and sacrificing animals all over his territory. So you can understand his surprise when his mate is about to be the human sacrifice.
1. Fight for the Boy

Derek Hale closely watched the commotion before him. He was hidden behind a cluster of trees with Scott and Boyd flanking him on either side, not too far from the hostile pack that has encroached on their territory. The wolf's nostrils flared with the scent of the burning wood from the bonfire that had Derek scowling in annoyance. Were they that stupid to light a fire in the middle of the forest? Didn't they know it could be seen from miles off? Apparently not.

"What are they standing around for?" Scott calls out from a few feet away, peering out from behind one of the trees to stare at the wolves in the clearing gesturing to one another and talking in harsh voices.

"Shut up!" Derek hisses out flashing his alpha eyes, "We're outnumbered, do you want them to notice us!?"

"No!" Scott snaps in a hushed whisper, glaring and flashing his golden beta eyes.

Derek just rolls his eyes at Scott's antics, 100% done with this shit. "Boyd text the rest of the pack, and tell them to get into position, now." Boyd just nods and sends a flurry of texts with surprisingly quick fingers. In a matter of minutes Derek could sense the rest of his pack arrive and start moving themselves into place. They have the other pack surrounded.

There was a snap of breaking branches and the sound of footsteps accompanying the sound of pained moaning that had Derek on high alert, his claws slipping out. Derek continued to watch as a tall lean wolf came into view dragging a bundle tied up in a burlap sack and laying it at the feet of the two bickering wolves.

From where Derek stood he could clearly see that the bundle contained the outline of an adolescent boy. Scenting the air, shock slide down Derek's spine at the faint scent he can smell coming from the clearing, from the bundle. Grasping the tree he was leaning against, his nails gauged deep lines into the bark, his eyes flashing and staying bright red, a low growl rumbling deep in his chest.

"Derek?" Scott whispered, eyeing Derek worriedly. But he received no answer from Derek; it took all of Derek's self-control to stop himself from leaping into the clearing to get closer to the source of that smell.

Derek continued to watch as the two wolves stopped arguing, and one of them, presumably the alpha, bends over to untie the wiggling sack. Derek felt another wave of anger and a flicker of something else he didn't want to think about. Boyd's voice forces Derek out of his rivalry and back to the matter at hand/

"A human sacrifice!" Boyd whispers out urgently, crouching down where Derek was, "Deaton said the animals killed in the preserve had markings. Look at the boy's shoulder. That pack is the cult we've been tracking!"

Derek snarls under his breath at the sight of the branded mark on the boys shoulder. So it is. Derek watched intently for a few more minutes before the wind picked up, blowing embers from the fire across the ground, leafs floating on the wind and with it that same dizzying scent. Derek instinctively closes his eyes and breathes it in deeply. He could smell the wood burning, the anxious foot falls of the forest animals, even the cloying scent of fear and excitement coming off the wolves. But above all, he smells that scent that's wafting from the boy smelling like Vanilla, that fresh earthly smell after rain, like… like _home._

With a jolt, Derek rears back eyes snapping wide. He couldn't believe it, this couldn't be happening! But it was, that boy, who was about to be sacrificed was his _mate_! There was no doubt in Derek's mind what that scent and his reaction meant.

"Get ready." Derek growled out, the words slightly slurred from talking around his fangs, "Boyd-" Derek was interrupted by a shrill scream that echoed through the forest. Whipping back around Derek watched with dawning horror, fear curling in his chest, as the alpha of that pack dragged the boy up with a hand around the back of his neck and slammed him down face first into the dirt, claws digging in leaving the boy to writhe around in pain and cry out.

Derek's legs automatically started forward before he could even process what he was doing.

"ENOUGH!" Derek roars as he reveals himself from behind the bushes with Boyd and Scott following In his wake, shifted, and effectively drawing everyone's attention to them. The Wolves whipped their heads around, the alpha dropping the boy and turning to face them. The boy whimpers and scrambles to his hands and knees as best he could with his bound hands to move away but was only shoved down again by one of the other wolves, feet on his back pining him in place.

The alpha turned to look at them incredulously, surprise lighting up his face. "Oh? You must be the pack I sniffed out around here huh? Well I've come to stake my claim; looks like a nice naïve little town. Good for my tastes."

A wolf with a death wish, Derek's favourite kind.

"This is my territory. Leave. " Derek snarls.

The alpha just smirks, "I have you outnumbered, and my pack can handle you easily enough. We'll wipe the floor with you and then I can carry on with my business. You have no idea what you're messing with!"

With that the alpha launches himself at Derek, his pack following his lead. With a snarl of anger that tapers into a loud howl, the rest of Derek's pack comes crashing into the clearing just as Derek clashes with the alpha, claws mercilessly tearing into each other's flesh as they fight for dominance.

The alpha lunges at Derek, swiping his claws in a large arc forcing Derek to jerk backwards to avoid the onslaught. Crouching down, Derek holds his arms by his sides, claws ready as the alpha lunges at Derek once more. Shoving his body forward Derek goes for the alpha's throat with his claws. His claws catch on the alpha shoulders, and with a pained snarl the alpha claws at Derek and punches him square in the chest, sending him flying into a nearby tree with a resounding thud.

Derek growls in rage, as he slowly gets back to his feet. There goes another one of his leather jackets. Baring his fangs Derek snarls, "This is your last warning. Leave. Or I will rip your throat out. With. My. Teeth."

The alpha hesitates but clearly whatever he was worried about passes because a second letter he bares his fangs and runs towards Derek lunging for his throat.

"The _boy!_ He's trying to _escape_!" A frantic shout rings out, stunning the alpha to a stop.

The alpha whirled around at the call from one of his betas. "Capture him! We need him!" The alpha orders angrily, rousing his beta's into action. Several cursed shouts goes up into the air as the betas struggle to get away from the fighting and get to the boy.

Taking opportunity of the distraction Derek pushes his larger body forwards, and pounces on the unsuspecting alpha, catching him off guard and shoving him down into the dirt, pining his biceps down with his claws as Derek's other hand wraps around the alpha throat and _pulls._

With a grunt of disgust Derek gets up, eyes flickering through the mass of fighting bodies looking for the boy. With a start Derek notices the two betas from before charging out of the clearing. Derek darts forward, the betas were fast and he knew it would be a matter of seconds before they reached the boy and Derek knew he wouldn't be able to evade them.

Without thought Derek grabbed the first beta, dragging him into the ground and smacking his head into the dirt until he was rendered unconscious. Launching himself back up Derek made it to the other beta just as the beta smacked the boy over the head, sending the boy sprawling forward into an unconscious haze. Derek quickly reaches out and grasped unto the falling form and pulling him firmly towards him.

Derek could hear the others fighting, vicious snarls and the sound of breaking bones echoing through the forest but all he could think about was the boy cradled safely in his arms.


	2. Lupus

The sound from the fighting slowly dies down until all Derek can hear is the crackling of the fire, and the sound of their breathing. The teenage boy's breathing was worryingly shallow. Derek stands up quickly after settling the teenager gently on the ground. Looking around, Derek was relieved to find that every member of his pack was still standing, albeit injured.

Kneeling down, Derek worriedly goes over the teen's injuries, what he see makes the red bleed back into his eyes and his fangs drop. The cuts on the back of his neck were deep and will need stitching, and he was littered in tiny cuts and bruises, but it's the brand that was burned into the flesh of his shoulder that drew his attention. The mark appeared to be an assortment of dots, scattered along his shoulder with no apparent pattern that Derek could recognize.

The skin around the mark was inflamed; the skin rising around the mark was flushed with blood. The wound was fresh; Derek could still smell the acrid scent of burnt flesh wafting from the wound, a smell he would not soon forget. The mark was an angry scorched red with black in areas where it had split the skin too deep. It made Derek's blood boil and his wolf pace and snarl beneath his skin. He had this strong undeniable urge to _hunt, maim_ and _kill_ those who had harmed him. But he already had, hadn't he? Derek mused.

"Derek?" Isaac calls out quietly, approaching the alpha slowly, trying not to startle Derek in his current state. Isaac could still feel the violence and tension thrumming in the air. He had no doubt that if Derek could do it; he would bring the alpha back from the dead just to kill him again…. _Slowly._

"What?" Derek grunts, not looking at his beta as he continues to go over his ma- _the boy's_ \- injuries. Laying a firm but gentle hand on the teen's arm he pulls the pain from the boy's body, watching as he slumps, his tense features slowly relaxing. Glancing over the boy's relaxed face Derek could tell he was beautiful underneath all the filth, dirt and soot. The boy has soft creamy skin, with moles and light freckles, and stupid cupid-bow lips. It made his teeth itch. It made him want to follow the trail of freckled skin with his tongue and see just how far it goes.

Several footfalls alerted him to the rest of his pack approaching where he was kneeling on the ground, and Derek shakes his head to clear the thoughts fogging up his brain.

"Urg! There goes my new heels and jeans! They're completely ruined! Thanks Derek." Erica sneers in disgust, as she saunters up shaking off bits of gore from her heel and picking her claws. Scrunching her face in clear disgust Erica whines, "no amount of showers is gonna remove this reek!"

Derek just turns and stares at her, raising an eyebrow at her broken heels and ripped up spandex that she calls jeans, "I'm not giving you my credit card."

Erica just bares her teeth in a wide smile, flipping her hair over her shoulder, "Oh, don't worry. You are - you just don't know it yet."

Derek just glares at her while she continues to smile widely at him. He knew it was a bad idea to turn a bunch of insubordinate teenagers into werewolves. He _knew_ it.

"Is he going to be okay?" Isaac asks, gesturing to the boy lying unconscious on the ground. The rest of the pack crowds around to get a closer look at the hurt boy. Boyd leans down opposite side of Derek and looks over the teen's injuries, watching as Derek's veins turn black, draining the pain away like poison.

Derek favours Boyd not only for his strength and silence, but for his calculated thinking. With a glance at Derek's red eyes Boyd just nods, his own eyes flaring gold and places his own hand softly on the other teen's arm to help draw out the pain.

Derek shakes off the shocked feeling of the need to brush Boyd's hand off the boy and rub his own scent in. Boyd knew what this boy was to him, he could tell by how slowly Boyd moved to touch him. Of course he did, he probably guessed it as soon as the boy was in the clearing.

Derek scoffs and turns his attention back to the teen beside him. He didn't think the cuts on the back of his neck were deep enough to turn him, but he was worried about the open wound from the branding – it could get infected and scar really badly if not treated properly.

"I think so" Derek murmurs, taking his hand off the boys arm, the pain should be gone for the time being. Being an alpha did have its perks. An alpha drawing out pain tended to keep the pain away for longer. "We have to get him to Deaton." Derek says standing, gently picking the teen up and carrying him bridal style as not to jostle him more than necessary. The teen was surprisingly thin and light beneath the baggy clothing. It made Derek grit his teeth, the boy was clearly malnourished.

"Scott, Erica, head back to my place and pick up the SUV and meet me back on the side of the road by the ridge on the eastern side. Isaac, get to Deaton's and let him know we're coming. Kira, Boyd, with me." Derek orders.

"But what about the bodies!? Scott exclaims, "Some of them are just unconscious."

"Isaac will contact the Argents when he gets to Deaton's. Now go!" Derek snaps. The pack moves into action and within minutes Derek can no longer hear or sense their presence in the area. It didn't take long after they left that Derek could hear a car rumbling in the distance. Finally.

Shifting his weight and holding onto the teen's body firmly, Derek treks through the underbrush with his betas at his side, senses on high alert for any possibly danger still lurking around. Reaching the edge of the woods Derek carefully slides along the edges of the ridge that will lead to the road down below and the waiting SUV. The teen groans and stirs in his arms but otherwise doesn't wake up.

The whole drive to Deaton's was silent and seemed to take way longer in Scott's mind. Every time the SUV hit a bump in the road it would cause Derek to let out a growl and glare daggers into the back of Scott's head. He knows, he can literally _feel_ the power of his glare and judgy eyebrows. He shudders with pity for Erica who was stuck sitting in the back with him for the entire ride.

Parking hurriedly in front of the clinic's front doors, Scott rushes out to open the doors just in time for Derek to barrel through. Deaton had already set up the infirmary room, Isaac rushing to grab last minute items that Deaton calls out as Derek lays the teen on the cot.

"This is the boy?" Deaton asks, putting on a pair of latex gloves and grabbing a needle that he began to fill with a clear copious liquid from a vial.

"Yes." Derek says, watching as Deaton lifts the boy's shirtsleeve to inject the needle. Quickly reaching out Derek firmly grasps his emissary by the arm. "What is that?" He demands, his wolf shifting uneasily.

Deaton glances up at Derek, unperturbed by his mood. "This is a Propofol Sedative; Mr. Hale. This will help keep him relaxed and asleep for the duration that it will take for me to address his injuries. He will feel no pain, along with minimal side effects."

Derek lets go of Deaton's arm with a grimace and closes his eyes, breathing in deeply before letting it out in a hard sigh. "Go home." Derek says not looking at his pack, eyes locked on Deaton's movements.

"You sure, man? We'll stay-"

"No Scott, go home. All of you." Derek says, turning around and looking at his pack. Realizing he's being a little too harsh he gentles his tone. "You've all got school tomorrow. Meet me back at the pack house tomorrow, we'll talk then."

With a chorus of goodbyes followed by complaints and arguments about who's going to drive they filter out and Deaton and Derek are left alone in silence.

Deaton slides the boy's shirtsleeve up before injecting the needle into his arm. Satisfied at not getting any reaction from the sleeping body, Deaton proceeds to fit the Finapress to the teen's wrist and index finger. Glancing back up at Derek he explains, "This here, that I have just attached to the boys arm is a Finapress. It is used to monitor blood levels and determine his heart rate."

Derek just swallows thickly and nods his head in understanding, body held rigidly. "Now, I am about to place electrodes which will send a mild electrical torrent - Mr. Hale, please take a seat!" Deaton demands calmly as Derek growls and takes a threatening step forward, claws curling forward "I will not harm your mate!"

Derek stops and stares at Deaton for a second before nodding, his claws slowly retracting and he takes a step back. It was different from knowing it was true, to hearing it to be true. Having it said out in the open just… just seems all the more real. And that terrified him.

"I'm sorry" Derek sighs as he forces himself to sit at a distance away from the cot, dragging his hands over his face in obvious stress.

"I understand. The urge to protect your newly found mate can be overwhelming, but I need you remain calm. I am your emissary. I mean him no harm, alpha." Deaton placates. "Now," Deaton starts, giving Derek a firm look "I am going to place these electrodes on his chest once I remove his articles of clothing. The electrodes will be hooked up to the ECG monitor and will send a mild current of electricity through his body that will record the electrical activity of his heart and skin. Put simply - it will help detect any infection or irregularities."

Derek nods stiffly, accepting his explanation and allowing Deaton to continue. With that Deaton settles to work removing the boys articles of clothing and hooking him up to the monitor before inspecting his injuries. "Light abrasion and lacerations on his chest. What appears to be two broken ribs on the right side. Puncture wounds on the back of the neck. A burned mark on his right shoulder that's…" Deaton trails off, eyes creasing in thought.

"What!?" Derek demands, getting up from the chair and coming to stand beside Deaton "Do you know what this mark means? It's not the same as the others."

"Yes, I know what this mark means." Deaton murmurs quietly, staring at the mark in disbelief. "When you found him… was he about to be sacrificed?"

"I didn't wait around to find out." Derek growled out, gnashing his teeth "They were hurting him."

"Do you not know the significance of this mark?" Deaton asks quietly. "I would have thought Talia would have spoken of what this symbol means to your people."

"I was not groomed to be an alpha, you know this. If my mother had spoken of it, it was not to me. Now enough of your riddles and just tell me what it means." Derek says tight lipped.

"The dots," Deaton explains "are not just scattered randomly. They are an alignment. If you align the two upper most dots with the upper middle and connect the remaining together, what does it look like?"

Derek leans closer to the mark with a frown, concentrating on picturing the dots linking up. "A wolf?" he whispers in wonder, eyes wide.

"Yes." Deaton says nodding "It is the marking of the _Lupus_ constellation that is only visible during the month of June on a full moon night."

"But why would a cult brand that on someone that's going to be sacrificed?" Derek frowns.

Deaton slowly turns to look Derek in the eye. "You really don't know, do you?"

"What!?" Derek growls out in aggravation.

"It means Mr. Hale, that if that cult is right about this boy… we have a possible genocide on our hands."


	3. The Bond

"Genocide," Derek responds flatly. "You are telling me that this skinny, defenceless teenager would cause genocide?"

Deaton laughs airily, which comes as a surprise to Derek. He couldn't remember ever seeing Deaton laugh like that. "Defenceless? He may be now, Mr. Hale, but I assure you. He won't be for long."

"Deaton, a human boy doesn't just go about causing genocide to the whole human race." Derek says crossing his arms with a frown and shaking his head. It didn't make any sense.

Deaton just chuckles. "Who said anything about causing genocide to the human race? I believe your mate to be a Delta. I will need to run some tests to make sure."

"A delta!?" Derek cries out in disbelief, shaking his head. "That's impossible. You know just as well as I do that there hasn't been one born in centuries!"

"Yes, I know. I have read the recordings in the bestiary, the last one born was well over a thousand years ago – and you know the tales of what happened to that family. You must understand the seriousness of what this situation would bring if he is a delta."

"I know that!" Derek snarls. "Run the tests."

Deaton nods and gathers the necessary supplies to administer a blood test. "You should read the bestiary on Delta's and prepare yourself. Even without running the tests, I have no doubt that he is one. That pack's emissary probably already ran the tests to make sure."

With a sigh Derek resigned himself to admit Deaton was probably right. He was worried about what this would mean for Beacon Hills and his pack. Gathering his bearings Derek grabs the bestiary off Deaton's desk and settles in to read. Flipping through the index Derek finds the pages on Werewolves. Skimming through the pages Derek absorbs the information that is written with a gathering sense of wonder and relief.

* * *

 ** _Bestiary – Delta Werewolf_**

 _The Delta wolf, also known as a "Solstice Wolf", is said to be born once every thousand years in a time of great peril or need._

 _Deltas are extremely dangerous and volatile. They have the ability of an Alpha to turn humans into Werewolves with their bite. They also possess the ability to shift at will. They have neurotoxins in their claws (see Kanima, page #486) that disables the ability to heal if scratched by it. (See Poisons & Cures, Page #15)_

 _Lore depicts Deltas to have two entities inside of them – fighting for dominance. - The wolf and the human. Deltas are more in tune with their wolf and can be seen as more wolf than human. Some have been known to be able to control both but it is extremely rare. Most of the time they appear to have dual personalities. Because of this Delta are extremely instable and unpredictable and can go feral._

 _Key Characteristics_

 _Eye color: Mixed – Red & Gold_

 _Fur: White_

 _Powers & Abilities_

 _Lycanthropy – The ability to change humans into werewolves with their bite, speed and strength to match an Alpha._

 _Healing - Deltas appear to have the gift of healing through saliva; a common trait among Theta werewolves._

 _Partial Wolfsbane Immunity – A Delta werewolf's immune system can fight off Wolfbane poisoning with simple rest. Side effects include but not limited to - Fever, vomiting, loss of control, & fainting._

 _Heightened Senses – Delta werewolves can smell, see, and hear far better than humans and other werewolves. They have very detailed senses._

 _Danger Sense – A Delta werewolf has an enhanced survival instinct that is due to their danger sense, being able to detect dangers to their pack or themselves before anyone else._

* * *

Closing the book with a sigh Derek looks at the boy laying still on the cot, and thinking back to what happened in the clearing, it was hard to believe he was anything like what the bestiary was describing him as.

"He tests positive…" Deaton whispers, his posture stiff as he stares hunched over at the blood test results. "It's faint. The gene appears to be recessive and currently non-active, but it's there. That would explain why he mainly has human attributes."

"So there is a possibility that the wolf in him won't wake up?" Derek questions.

Deaton shakes his head, "There are no recordings or recollections of that happening. There is no way to tell if the gene will present itself or not. It is lying dormant right now, but that doesn't mean it could not be triggered."

"Fuck."

"Yes, that about sums it up." Deaton says bemused. "What do you plan to do now with the boy?"

Derek regards the teenager laying unconscious for few beats. "I cannot let him go unmarked - my wolf is already anxious and unsettled. I need – I need to mark him before having him near the pack. I don't know how stable I would be allowing my mate around other wolves without my mark."

Deaton nods in understanding. "Of course, placing your mark and starting the bonding process will stabilize your wolf's behaviour and deter any wolves from trying to interfere." Deaton's voice takes on a note of seriousness. "But I warn you, the effects from your claiming bite could trigger the delta gene. We have no way of knowing how unstable it is, and what could trigger it. You have to be extremely cautious."

"I understand." Derek replies gruffly.

"Then I will leave you to it. Lock up when you are done here." Deaton says, clearing his station and leaves the clinic.

Leaning over the teenager, Derek regards the long expanse of skin before him. Where should he mark him? The neck would be too risky; his wolf would want to claim him. His hip would have to do.

Deciding on the boy's left hip, since the other one has a nasty bruise, Derek lets his fangs grow and bends down and bites into the tender flesh of the boy's hip, making sure not to bite too deep. The boy twitches and stirs with a whimper, but Derek continues unhurriedly, knowing that the drug that Deaton gave him should keep him under for a while yet.

The blood that seeps from the small wounds that his fangs made tastes sweet to Derek. It makes his eyes bleed red and his fangs itch to press in deeper. He wants to pull back and bite his mate again, on the neck this time, claiming him. He wants to dig his teeth in deep, basking in the satisfaction of unleashing his mate's inner wolf.

The primal and instinctive urge to do so was almost overpowering. With a deep breath, Derek staggers backwards, wiping the blood from his lips. He would not make the same mistake again of turning those who are not willing – or teenagers – for that matter into werewolves, especially not his mate. Derek had learned the hard way that those forced into this life didn't transition well to the change and had a harder time finding an anchor and controlling the shift.

Derek looks down at the teen's hip and relief and pride washes over him, relief settling in his gut. His mark has taken well, the bite healing and fading into a faint scar. Reaching out a hesitant hand, Derek places it on the teen's chest, right over his heart.

Derek can feel the pull of the bond; a warmth in the center of his chest. It's like a strong intertwining line stretched between them, pulling them tightly together and connecting them.

Steeling himself, Derek closes his eyes and concentrates on their bond and propels his power down the link of their connection, speeding up the bonding process and allowing the teen to draw from Derek's power to heal himself.

Derek sighs in relief at the sight of the teen's wounds slowly closing and healing. Derek felt a sense of pleasure that he could help his mate this way. The brand on his shoulder fading until there was no traces of it left on the boy's skin. Derek hated seeing his mate hurt, it made him want to gnash his teeth and kill something.

The tension and adrenaline slowly left Derek's body, making him feel exhausted and worn out as he watches his mate's injuries heal. His mate is safe now, and will be in the care and safety of his people.

He'll be fine.


	4. Alpha Pack

Jennifer Blake watches as a pair of bumbling fools dash at break-neck speed towards her, with a mixture of surprise and rage when she recognises who they are. The two men fall to their knees when they reach her, babbling incoherently and tripping over their words, waving their hands about frantically.

"Enough!" Jennifer yells, "What is going on here!? What are you two fools doing back in camp – and _why_ are you covered in blood!?"

"W-we got am-" "All of them, they are-"

"Speak one a time!" Jennifer snaps, eyes flashing silver, face contorting in agitation.

"We got a-ambushed." Aiden says, not daring to look up.

"There was another pack, the attacked us. Everyone's dead, they… they took the Delta." Ethan explains nervously.

"They _what!_?" Jennifer shouts, finally losing control, "Where is he? Where is your alpha, Adrian Harris?"

"D-Dead…the alpha killed him."

" _What_? How could you allow this to happen!? Do you have any fucking idea how long it took to collaborate with the alpha pack and round up all those human sacrifices and to _find_ that boy!?" Jennifer screeches, lashing out and smacking the two wolves in the face in her anger. " _Twelve_ _months_ of carefully planned scheming! You had one job! One fucking job and that was to bring the boy here! It's almost June! _You idiots_!"

The surrounding betas in the camp slowly gathered in close nit groups to witness what was going on with a rising sense of alarm and fear. They knew their emissary had a temper but they have never seen this kind of anger from her before - especially with the Omegas in their pack. Whispers quickly spread as the pack watched Jennifer beat up the two helpless Omegas, rendering them to a whimpering mess on the ground. With that a few people broke away from the groups to go alert their alpha to what was going on.

"Jennifer! Enough." Kali called out as she came into the clearing eyes shining ruby red, grabbing Jennifer by the arm and wrenching her away from the two wolves huddled on the ground.

Jennifer turns panting, face red with rage. "How dare you-"

"Jennifer" Kali growls in warning, hand tightening on her arm. "Get inside. We'll talk there."

"Bu-" Jennifer cuts in angrily.

" _Now_ ," Kali snarls, baring her fangs.

With a cry of utter frustrating Jennifer stomps her way inside the pack house, shoving the door closed with a resounding slam. Kali watches with narrowed eyes, resigning herself to what she knows will be a long night. Turning her attention to the two wounded Omegas, Kali sighs.

"What happened?"

"Pl-please, alpha, we couldn't-" "We didn't mean-"

"Hush, that's enough now. Relax; you are not going to be punished any further."

"We couldn't stop them, they had us surrounded. We were on the way back here with the delta, but a pack ambushed us, they killed everyone! W-We barely got out of there alive!" Aiden babbles hurriedly.

"And where is the delta?" Kali demands.

"The alpha of that pack took him." Ethan says solemnly.

Kali closes her eyes tightly with a tried sigh. This didn't look good. There wasn't supposed to be another pack around these areas for miles. Beacon Hills is supposed to be deserted; there hasn't been a claim on this area in over twelve years. Or so they thought.

* * *

Jennifer barges into her room in a flurry of anger. How could this happen!? Not now, not when she was so close. Jennifer did everything in her power to make things run smoothly, but she didn't foresee this train wreck of a situation!

There was less than a month and a half before the date of the ritual was scheduled to happen - The ritual that would make their pack stronger, invincible. They would no longer be living under the threat of Deucalion.

Jennifer could taste her hope and joy turn to ashes in her mouth.

Trying to console herself, Jennifer took comfort in reading over the contests of her Grimoire. It was a family heirloom, bestowed upon her from her late mother who was also a Darach. Flipping through the familiar pages, Jennifer was once again drawn to the upcoming ritual she was to perform.

 ** _Grimoire – Anima Transferentem Alica_**

 _Used in the transferring and & merging of a soul. __It is mainly used in transferring souls from one receptacle to another, but may also be used to capture vulnerable souls that aren't bound by mortal flesh._

 _Qualifications_

 _This incantation can only be used primarily on the date of the subject's birth, and must coincide with a full moon._

 _Requirements_

§ _An Athamé dagger_

§ _Larkspur Delphinium_

§ _Ceremonial Chalice_

§ _Rue_

§ _Wormwood_

§ _Willow_

 _Instructions_

 _1)_ _Ignite the Rue & Wormwood, letting it permute the air. Gather the ashes. Set aside._

 _2)_ _The subject must be cut with the_ _Athamé dagger, dipped in Larkspur Delphinium. Proceed to collect the subject's blood and purify the offering in the chalice. Set Aside._

 _3)_ _Gather the willow, grasping it in your left hand. Proceed to chant the spell recited below three times, all the while smearing the ashes onto the subject's skin._

 _"_ _From body to body our souls shall flow._

 _To each other's bodies our souls shall go –_

 _Evermore they shall be._

 _So mote it be."_

Slamming her Grimoire shut, Jennifer paces the long lengths of her bedroom in agitation. She couldn't believe the nightmare today had turned into. Jennifer didn't have any words to describe what she was feeling right now. She loathed that lowlife inferior alpha, Adrian Harris. She fucking _knew_ he was bad news, maybe that's why Deucalion sent him to get the delta. He was fucking _disposable!_

Jennifer heard the door open and close softly behind her, but she didn't bother to turn around to look who came in. She much preferred to stare angrily out her window and curse Adrian's very existence. Ha, not that he existed anymore.

"Jennifer?" Kali calls out softly, stepping into the room and into Jennifer's space, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Don't." Jennifer snaps, shrugging the hand off her shoulder.

"C'mon, don't be like this." Kali admonishes. "We'll get the delta back in time for the ritual. One stray pack is easily dealt with."

"And what if we don't?" Jennifer says wildly, whirling around. "What if we don't? What then? We will lose _everything_ we have built to make our pack stronger. We will lose the _only_ leverage we have against Deucalion."

"I know! We have suffered a setback, but we will get the boy back." Kali laments soothingly, taking a hold of Jennifer's hands in her own.

"No, they betrayed us." Jennifer whispers, feeling drained.

"Who?" Kali questions with a frown.

"The alpha pack – Deucalion. Don't you find it a little suspicious that Harris and his pack get butchered when we finally have the delta? They knew we were making a move! He sent one of his contacts to come and ambush us!"

Kali stiffens, her hands tightening around Jennifer's, a snarl punching out of her chest at the mere thought. But Deucalion couldn't have done this. He didn't have a darach – let alone a druid.

"No, he couldn't have done this. Even if he obtained the delta, there is nothing he can do without your power." Kali explains, shaking her head in denial.

"So, what now?" Jennifer demands "We have to go back and get the delta. We have no other option – our time is running out. We have to do it now."

"So bossy," Kali smiles, running her hands up Jennifer's arms to either side of her neck, caressing the skin there softly with her thumbs.

"Kali, Stop." Jennifer glares, lips twitching up into a smile.

"C'mon baby, relax." Kali soothes. "How 'bout we go to bed?"

Jennifer just rolls her eyes. "You really need to come up with better pickup lines."

Kali just grins, feral. "Do I now?"

"Yes." Jennifer says breath hitching as Kali walks her backwards, lightly pushing her onto the bed. Lying on her back on the nice warm sheets, Jennifer watches as Kali crawls up her body, eyes glinting predatorily.

Kali runs her hands through Jennifer's hair as she nuzzles into her neck, letting out a low purr as Jennifer's hand comes up to frame the side of her face.

"Come on, none of this now. There are plans to be m- _made_!" Jennifer complains, letting out a small squeal when Kali licks down the line of her throat, sucking a mark onto her pale skin, hands wondering down Jennifer's body.

"Mmm, now?"

"…Now."

Kali grins, "I knew you'd come around."

"We're still talking about this tomorrow!" Jennifer yelps, arching her back at the sharp bite she receives.

"Mmhmm, when I'm done with you - if you'll even be able to talk then." Kali murmurs, lips trailing to nibble Jennifer's collarbone.

"What do you mean?" Jennifer gasps out.

"You're just going to have to wait and see, now won't you?"

Jennifer arches her back with a whimper as Kali moves down her body, leaving a trail of fire in her wake.


End file.
